AlooooooHa! This is the last shot I took before I decided to walk closer to the plume to get a better look up close and personal. I included this shot to show you how nasty looking this plume cloud can get just before and explosion. The clouds seem to mushroom together and get really gnarly looking. Mind you, I am still a good 200-300 yrds away in this shot. I love my tele, it keeps me from bursting into flames. All night long I kept saying to myself "What are those two idiots doing so close to the plume?" In my next post I become the idiot who gets closer than these guys. Yeah I know, sharp as a marble. But sometimes the moment beckons and you must heed it's call. I'm sure I'm not the only one who's stuck his "Okolei" (Hawaiian for "ass") out before to get a shot. If you don't believe me, go look as some of Sharky's shots....We've all done it once or twice. A couple posts ago I used to word "Vog" when talking about the gasses emitted from the plume. I forget that this word is probably used only on this island. For those of you that want more, here is the official kaka. Vog is a portmanteau of the words "volcanic" and "smog," and a volcanic smog is formed when sulfur dioxide and other gases emitted by an erupting volcano mix with oxygen and moisture in the presence of sunlight. The term is most often applied to the island of Hawaii, where the Kīlauea volcano has been erupting continuously since 1983. Kilauea emits an estimated 2,000 tons of vog every day. Big Mahalo's for hangin' in there with me and thanks for coming along for the walk. Aloha~